WOMEN will be offered NHS breast cancer screening after an IT error meant they missed invitations to be screened earlier.

The decision follows analysis by Public Health England dating back to 2009, which found that a number of invitations for a final test had not been sent out to women, between their 68th and 71st birthday.

Around 450,000 older woman have been affected by the technical issue dating back to 2009 and which was only caught this year.

East Lancashire Hospitals Trust chiefs have urged women offered invitations for screening to attend their appointment.

A trust spokesman said: "NHS organisations will be working in partnership across Lancashire and South Cumbria to co-ordinate any necessary rescreens and to ensure that routine screening will not be

affected.

"Breast screening is vitally important to try and detect signs of cancer as early as possible, so if you have been invited for screening, please do still attend.